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CNN Live At Daybreak

Wake-Up Call: Showdown Iraq

Aired March 04, 2003 - 06:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We've got a global perspective for you. Let's get Washington's take on this, this morning. It means a "Wake-Up Call" to our senior White House correspondent, John King.
Good morning -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Word is the White House will listen to Hans Blix's report on the 7th. How soon after that will they move for a vote in the United Nations, do you think?

KING: Well, the plan has been to seek a vote within days, meaning Monday the 10th; perhaps it will slip to Tuesday the 11th. There are some in Washington who say perhaps there won't be a vote after all if the United States, Great Britain and Spain cannot get the nine necessary votes. That is still to be determined under diplomacy, but no doubt about the fact the United States wants the debate at the United Nations resolved by the end of next week.

COSTELLO: Diplomatic efforts are still ongoing, aren't they?

KING: Sure. Secretary Powell met, as you noted, secretly with the Mexican foreign minister last night; other phone conservations from U.S. officials to key members of the Security Council. The great mystery seems to be France. The United States is reasonably certain Russia and China would not use their vetoes. They don't have that certainty when it comes to France, so they're still counting votes.

The U.N. debate will obviously -- he'll have the Blix report Friday, the debate will spill into next week. By the end of next week, the president could be making the fateful decision.

COSTELLO: Gotcha. John King, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired March 4, 2003 - 06:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We've got a global perspective for you. Let's get Washington's take on this, this morning. It means a "Wake-Up Call" to our senior White House correspondent, John King.
Good morning -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Word is the White House will listen to Hans Blix's report on the 7th. How soon after that will they move for a vote in the United Nations, do you think?

KING: Well, the plan has been to seek a vote within days, meaning Monday the 10th; perhaps it will slip to Tuesday the 11th. There are some in Washington who say perhaps there won't be a vote after all if the United States, Great Britain and Spain cannot get the nine necessary votes. That is still to be determined under diplomacy, but no doubt about the fact the United States wants the debate at the United Nations resolved by the end of next week.

COSTELLO: Diplomatic efforts are still ongoing, aren't they?

KING: Sure. Secretary Powell met, as you noted, secretly with the Mexican foreign minister last night; other phone conservations from U.S. officials to key members of the Security Council. The great mystery seems to be France. The United States is reasonably certain Russia and China would not use their vetoes. They don't have that certainty when it comes to France, so they're still counting votes.

The U.N. debate will obviously -- he'll have the Blix report Friday, the debate will spill into next week. By the end of next week, the president could be making the fateful decision.

COSTELLO: Gotcha. John King, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.